RAW deploys hundreds of agents to watch Bangladesh defence

===================================================================== Note From Moderator BangladesherDak: While it is a matter of great success that the

Message 1 of 1
, Dec 1, 2002

0 Attachment

=====================================================================
Note From Moderator BangladesherDak:
While it is a matter of great success that the Bangladesh authorities have
been able to nab a RAW operative, it would be to national interest to hunt
out the thousand that actively collaborate "openly" with India to
destabilise Bangladesh at any given opportunity.
======================================================================

The New Nation, Dhaka
1st December 2002

Monitoring Army

Staff Reporter

Powerful Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), is
learnt to have deployed innumerable agents to keep close watch on Bangladesh
defence and collect information about its operation.

Informed sources said that it was revealed during interrogation of
Akashuzzaman alias Abul who was arrested on Monday last in Sylhet.
Son of Nuruzzaman of Guabari of Jointapur of Sylhet district, Abul confessed
that he had been working for a long time like hundreds of others across the
country to monitor the activities of the Bangladesh Armed Forces and
regularly report to the RAW operatives. Even he used to go to India without
passport routinely to reach the sensitive information personally.

He reportedly said that his operator always insisted on graphic presentation
of the deployment of Bangladesh Army, specially its establishments. His
recent report was entitled "Cantonment Report" which he handed over to BSF
camp across Sylhet border.

Abul used various alibi to collect information or move around. Sometime he
would present himself as an Army personnel or at other time he would wear
BDR uniform or even he would move as a member of the Ansar to hoodwink
people.

He said that he would meet with the BSF and RAW officials whenever he was
asked to meet and get the orders of the day. He said his reports were
accurate specially about the army installations and personnel. He had
prepared a map of these installations which he had already submitted to the
RAW officials.

He disclosed that he heard that RAW had deployed hundreds of agents across
Bangladesh to watch the defence.

Army is learnt to have raided his house in his village home and found
important documents and pictures. Army also recovered his pictures in
uniform of army, BDR and Ansar from a photo studio located near Sylhet
Cantonment.

Army handed over Abul to Police for further investigation.

Incidentally Abul was arrested a couple of days before Indian Deputy Prime
Minister L K Advani launched an unprecedented tirade against Bangladesh
accusing this country of harbouring Al-Qaeda and Talibans. Even he asserted
that the deputy of Osama bin Laden was now living in Bangladesh, which the
government rejected summarily.

Sources suspect that India launched the campaign deliberately and whipped it
up internationally in order to gain confidence of big powers which looks at
such propaganda with sympathy.

Incidentally to back up with its campaign India also moved additional troops
to Bangladesh order to beef up its already strong presence along the border.
The recent increase in incidents of BSF firing on Bangladeshis, even
attacking the outposts of the BDR, is seen as deliberate by the observers.

When contacted an official of the Bangladesh government refused to comment.
While admitting that India moved fresh forces along the border, he said that
the government was watching with incredulity these developments on Indian
side.